Pros And Cons Of Raising Hunting/Fishing License Fees
July 15, 2007
Recently I was contacted by Matt Whetstone of Cadillac News out of Michigan. He wanted to feature an article about the debate in that state over a proposal to raise license fees for hunting and fishing. Under one proposal, the cost to a hunter wishing to purchase a big game hunting license and one antlerless deer permit would cost $105.00.
What Mr. Whetstone was looking for was someone to present to Michigan readers the positive aspects of raising the license fees and someone else to present the downside. I took the downside approach as I believed that kind of an increase to hunt a deer is ridiculous.
The upside to fee increases was presented by Bob Garner of the Natural Resources Trust Fund.
Today, that article is featured on the home page of the Cadillac News. If interested in what I had to say and what Mr. Garner had to say, please visit the site and read the entire article.
Here’s a snippet from my portion.
Sport license buyers are no different than most consumers in that they are willing to pay the price for perceived value. When that perceived value remains unchanged and the cost increases too much too quickly, bad things happen.
And from Mr. Garner.
If you have the point of view that hunting and fishing licenses are just a tax on the sports we all love, it is likely you wouldn’t support even a dime increase in the license fees. But that’s not what they are. Licenses to hunt and fish came about because conservationists who enjoyed the outdoors and wanted to see the next generation enjoy it campaigned to have licenses and to have those fees put into a dedicated fund.
Tom Remington
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Wow, Tom, this is in my neck of the woods. Cadillac is only about an hour or so from where I live.
You make good points in the article too. I think Michigan is being remarkably short sighted about this issue. Hunting and tourism bring a lot of income into this state. Why make it more expensive for people to come here. Personally, I always thought that they should charge a small fee for other outdoor activites. Hikers, bikers, and boaters, including those who canoe Michigan rivers could pay a small increase in fees, or in some cases, start paying a small fee for something they now do for free.
Why don’t states raise the fees a small amount each year or two???? The huge jump in fees in one year are what hunters get upset about.
When you consider what most hunters spend on all the other hunting stuff, the cost of the license is a very small part of the hunt.
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